This invention relates generally to a face shield structure for use in conjunction with a helmet.
A great many motorcycle riders wear helmets because of laws passed by the various government levels. In order to protect the riders from the dangers encountered by air striking the face of the rider, and the possibility of trash, debris or the like striking the face of the rider, many different types of face shields have been designed and manufactured. Such face shields generally include a curved, transparent member which is fixed to the helmet with the bottom edge thereof open so that the helmet and attached face shield can be mounted over the head of the rider.
It is well known that when wearing such a helmet, a substantial upward lift is exerted on the helmet by the wind when traveling at relatively high speeds. Helmets have been designed which have an airfoil incorporated thereon to eliminate the air lift normally exerted on the helmet by using well-known aerodynamic principles, thus providing the wearer with a helmet and face shield which provides better air penetration while forcing the helmet onto the head instead of producing lift. However, such helmets generally have the airfoil formed in both the face shield and the helmet and is formed with an upwardly facing offset flange or ledge which curves or inclines upwardly and rearwardly and gradually decreases in width. This creates special costs in designing the helmet and if the face shield is utilized with a different helmet that does not have such a ledge constructed or formed thereon, a space exists between the face shield and the helmet because of the design of the ledge formed in the face shield. Further, prior art face shields are attached to the helmet in a rigid relationship thereto which necessitates the removal of the helmet and face shield when the user or wearer is conversing with others.
The present invention utilizes a V-shaped in cross section groove, the bottom surface of which forms a straight line extending upwardly and backwardly in a common plane about the sides of the curved face shield. The air flow through the V-shaped groove tends to exert a downward pressure on the face shield, thus relieving upward pressure on the helmet from air pressure which causes neck and back fatigue. An attachment band is positioned inside of, pivotally fastened to, and curved to substantially match the upper portion of the face shield and has fasteners attached thereto for fastening the face shield to a helmet in such a manner that the face shield may be moved about the pivots upwardly and away from the face of the user while it is attached to the helmet. The depth of the V-shaped groove decreases uniformly from the front of the face shield to the back to provide for a smooth flow of air and create a force tending to hold the helmet onto the head. A plurality of air vents are positioned in the top of the V-shaped groove toward the front of the face shield to enable the user to receive air and to allow communication with the face shield in place. Further, these air vents relieve the pressure within the helmet and, combined with the aerodynamic shape of the helmet, cause ordinary high level wind buffeting noise to be almost non-existent. Also, the unique indirect air intake system feature of this invention results in a shield which is exceptionally and substantially noise free and provides the wearer with a constantly controlled fresh air supply which keeps the inside of the shield substantially free from internal fogging.